After putting a bow on their first century with a special Centennial Game, the Boston Bruins aim for a second consecutive win when another Original Six and Atlantic Division rival in the Detroit Red Wings visit for the first and only time this season on Tuesday evening.
A 6-3 Sunday win over the longtime rival Montreal Canadiens marked the Bruins’ second six-goal performance in a three-game span, moving them to 4-2-0 since Nov. 20 when Joe Sacco was named interim head coach.
Charlie McAvoy and Charlie Coyle each scored twice against Montreal to help pace another effort that captain Brad Marchand believes showed a continually improving game.
“There are challenges that come with every season that you don’t always expect, and it’s on the group to find ways to get through the adversity together. … It’s not easy to do. If it was easy, every team would be the best,” Marchand said. “I think you’re seeing now (that) our game is getting better and we’re starting to come together.”
Boston built a 3-0 lead in the first period and held off a late Montreal rally to win the historic game played in front of franchise legends. Cole Koepke had a goal and an assist, while David Pastrnak also contributed his team-leading ninth tally.
McAvoy and the team’s leadership group knew how important earning a victory was in such a game. The defenseman broke an eight-game scoring drought — following a 10-game stretch without a point earlier in the season — with his third career multi-goal performance.
“It certainly makes a big difference in our group (when McAvoy contributes offensively),” Sacco said. “I thought he did it the right way (Sunday). He was following up the play, moving his feet skating in the right direction all the time. When he plays like that, we become a hard team to play against.”
Detroit has picked up points in three of its last four (2-1-1), but lost both the game — 5-4 in overtime — and goaltender Cam Talbot to a lower-body injury on Sunday against the Vancouver Canucks.
Talbot was still being reevaluated as of Monday afternoon but will not play Tuesday as 2021 first-round pick Sebastian Cossa was recalled from AHL affiliate Grand Rapids on emergency conditions. Coach Derek Lalonde also noted that forward Patrick Kane is slated to miss his fifth straight game due to an undisclosed injury.
Ville Husso made 15 saves following Talbot’s second-period Sunday exit.
“You never want to see that, but (it’s) next man up,” Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin said of Talbot’s injury. “Huss came in and did a great job for us, got us a point.”
The Red Wings’ penalty kill has gone just 6-for-12 over the last three games, including 1-for-4 in a 5-4 Friday loss to the New Jersey Devils. The Bruins, meanwhile, convert at a league-worst 11.7 percent clip on the power play and have gone four straight games without a man-up goal.
“(We’ve had) opportunity in the three losses of late — the Bruins game (a 2-1 Boston win on Nov. 23) was there for the taking, the other night was there for the taking, (Sunday) was certainly there for the taking,” Lalonde said. “We have to stay on it and keep trying to round out our game because you can see flashes of it.”
Marchand scored Boston’s game-winner with 8:30 remaining in the teams’ previous meeting.
Lucas Raymond netted the lone Detroit goal that night. He has five goals and four assists in his last seven games, including goals in five straight before Sunday.
–Field Level Media
